Water purifying apparatus



"APPARATUS Filed Jan. 24, 1941 RAW WATER TANK l application.

Agaimit is an object to providea more com- `tion embodying my` present invention.

` Patented Dec. 30, 1941 l N UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE i. i i WATERPUYRIIzzsmsoAPPARATUS V i Applcatisllra'kynzzjzzn 375,843 i 3 claims. My invention relates to apparatus forpurifying water and it especially relates to means used primarilyforthe removal of ironfromwell water supplies. t

` More Specifically, the present invention? relates to the kind of apparatus disclosed in my application for patent led June 13, 1940, Ser. No.`

340,383, and it particularlyhas for its object to provide an embodiment oi'` the generic invention `present in that` application, `which embodiment provides certain economies in manufacture', cost of installation, etc., over the embodiment of the invention disclosed specifically in my aforesaid pact apparatus, an'd one with fewer parts to `set up and connect together during the `process o f installation than is the case. with the apparatus disclosed :specifically in `my `aforesaid applications` l f f 'Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.`

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installed as a unit. This unit comprises therepression `of purewater storage tank 29, the builtin l'ter I9, .the main valve 9,9 and its connecl tions to the lfilter I9, andthe pipe 29 which op eratively connects the lter and tank 29.*

The lter end of the pipe 20 carries a strainer 2| within 'the filter I9," l

Within the tank 29 `is mounted a float-conf I trolledair-valvedevice comprising a float lever `a fairly constant quantity 21, an air inlet duct`22 having a suitable valve seat 26. The `duct 22connectswiththe air space of tankl, and has a shut-on valve 23 and a valve 24 in a branch to atmosphere. This neat-controlled air valve is for the purpose of maintaining of air above the water in repression tank 29. l

In setting up thefapparatus the tank 4 is connectedto the pumpsI andY 2 by the pipe3 and byla pipe 'I with the valve housing 8 at its water port II.` To the other vwater port I3 the back `wash discharge pipe Il is connected.`

To the attainment ofthe aforesaid objects' and ends the invention still further resides in the` novel details ofvconstruction, combination- `and arrangement of parts, all of which will be iirst fully described in the following detailed description, and then `be. particularly pointed `out in the appended claims, reference `being had to the accompanying drawing, in which: l l Fig. `1 is adiagrammatic view of the installa- Fig.2 isl an zenlarged detail of the neat-con-` trolled air valve. l l I In the `drawing in which like numbers of reference indicate likeparts in all the figures, I indicates a conventional Well` pump and 2 a` conventional air pump by which-water and air are delivered through a pipe 3 into the top part of a raw water` storagetank l. This tank. at a suitable level. is provided with' a oat-controlled airrelease valve 5. y t

A pressure gauge 6 on the tank i serves te in dicate the pressures within the tank and a pressure controlled switch -29` controls the stopping and starting of the pump motor'(not shown) via the circuit wires 30. `When the water level lin tank 4 falls below `a predetermined place, `and the air pressure drops accordingly, the switch 28 closes the circuit and the lpumpzoperates until th'e tank 4 has again been filled to the desired level and the pressure haspattained the predetermined degree ,to open switch 29. The air in tank 4, when the` tank is full, serves as, an air spring. Y, In my present apparatus the filter and the repression -tank. as well as the three shut-of! valves of the apparatusy oi my application aforesaid are combined into a single unit, the parts of which are assembled at th'e factory and shipped and The valve proper 9 has a duct I0 which serves,`

when the lever I2 isin one position, to connect portII to port I2. and whenthe leveris moved over to its otherposition` the duct l0 connects port I2 with port I3,' H l,

By providing the naat-controlled air valve device shown in Fig. 2, when-thelwater in tank 29 is low `this valve remains` closed. but if the vwater rises above the oat the iloat automatically opensthe alr line 22 which" effects comrrunication with the air space in tank I and admits air` therefrom into tank 29. Thusa denite volume of airis maintained above the water in repression tank 29. I

I alsowish Ato call attention tothe'fact that sometimes water has a pH under `7, meaning it ison the acid side. Water with `a low pH is aggressive. The pH can usually be raised by mix` ing a little pure crushed` limestone or like material with the iilter sand, and I prefer to dothis when treating water withl a low pH.

The tank 29 may be provided" with a pressure gaugeI9.` I l The house service pipe II connects to thelower part of tank 29 and has the usual faucet I9.V

Operation l After setting up the apparatus athe pumpslI `and 2` are set 'into operation.` Valvevl, 91s'` set asshowninFlgA. y ,l

Water and air are 'pumpedinto tank l from which the water ows through pipe VI and duet III of valve 9, Minto filter I9, down through `the lter and out, via` pipe` 29, ,into theabottonivof tank 29. With faucet I9 closed the air in tank 29 is compressed as water enters the tankfrom pipe 20 to `form an air spring. f

As soon as tank 4 and tank 29 shall have be,

come filled to the desired level thewitch I9 will operate-to open the pump motor circuit 39 and stop the pump. The system is now ready forservice.

f When faucet I9 is opened, water starts moveresult in a ten-gallon-per-minute rateof travel through the filter I9 because of the available storage in repression tank 29. The reduced pressure will, however, start a flow through filter I9` at the rate of a little less than half the rate atwhich water isvdrawn. i In other words, the

`rate of flow through the filter would be 'reduced from ten gallons 'per minute down to four or ve gallons per minute. After faucet I8 is closed, water from tank 4 ,willV continue to travelinto repression tank 29 via the filter I9. For example, assume that faucet I8 is opened for one From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is thought the construction, operation and advantages of my invention will be clear to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a water system, two pneumatic pressure `tanks each having an air space at the top,

means for delivering' air and water into the rst of said tanks, a service pipe line .for conveying water from the second 'of said tanks, a filter within the second of said tanks, said filter including a filtering material and a closed compartment containing the same, means for delivering filtered water from' the filter into -the second of said tanks, means `i'or delivering water from the first of said tanks into said filter, and means for delivering air from the first to the second of said tanks, said air delivering means including a oat4controlled air valve -having means for opening the valve when the water in thev second tank reaches a predetermined level and to close the valve again when thewater falls below said predetermined level.

2. 1n a Water system, two pneumatic pressure tanks each having an` air space at the top,

' means for delivering air land water into the first minute and thenclosed, filter I9 would start opveration as soon as faucet I8 is opened. After faucet IQ is closed, the water continues -to flow from tank 4 to repression tank 29. through filter I9 for aconsiderable period of time, or until the' pressure is again equalized in tank l and repression tank 29.- During the above operation of opening and-closing faucet I9, pump I may or may` not be operating; that is inmaterial. Owing tothe fact that the filter is functioning `when service valves or faucets are closed, it is obvious that filter I9 can be much smaller than would be necessary without the use of repression tank 29. The smaller the' filter necessary, the less expensive the installation.

In due time a heavyiron precipitate is collectedl ontop of filter sand and must be removed. This is done by back-washing the lter sand. By back-wash is ymeant the reversing of the flow of water in filter I9 so as to travel upward, lifting off the precipitated iron and carrying it to waste. The back-washing of thisl plant is accomplished in the following simple manner:

Valve 9 is turned 90 from the position shown in Fig. l.v This shuts ofi flow from pipe 1 to filter I9 and connects pipe Il to the inlet side of the filter. Air above the water in yrepression tank 29 isl sufficient to force water from tank 29 up through pipe 20 intoand through filter I9 and out through back-wash discharge pipe It. By the time the water in tank 29 hasbeen exhausted the filter is sufciently clean to put back into operation. To put the apparatus back into operation, merely return valve 9 tothe position shownin Fig. r41. By the time the backwash has beencompleted, pressure will have dropped in tank 4' sufficient to start pump I. As the water and air pressure builds up in tank 4,. approximately one-half of the water pumped moves slowly through filter I9 into repression tank 29. If pump I is delivering ten gallons per minute,filter I9 is operating at approximately five gallons per minute as half oiI the water pumped is being stored in tank l and the balance is in the repression tank 29. v

of said tanks,v a service pipe line forl conveying water from the second of said tanks, a lter having an inlet and an outlet side and being located Within the second of said tanks, said filter including a filtering materialand a closed compartment containing the same, means for delivering filtered water from the outlet side of said filter into the second of said tanks, means for delivering water from the rst of said tanks into said filter, means for delivering air vfrom the firstto the second of. said tanks, and a in the second tank rises above a lpredetermined level.

3. In a watersystem, vtwo pneumatic pressure tanks each having an air spaceat the top, means for delivering air and water into the first of said tanks, a service pipe line for conveying water from the second of said tanks, a filter within the second-of said tanks,.said filter including a filtering material and a closed compartment containing the same, means for delivering filteredwater from the filter into the second of said tanks, means for delivering water from the firstof'said tanks into said filter, and means controlled by the water in the second tank for delivering air from the rsttank into the second tank when the water reaches a predetermined level, said last named means including an air duct leading from'the air space of the first tank into the second tank and a oat controlled valve operable by the Water in -zthe second tank for governing the admission of4 air from said duct a into said second tank.

JOSEPH P. LAWLOR. 

